


the rapture in the dark puts me at ease

by tragickenobi



Series: vaderwan 'bite' [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-28
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-23 13:53:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10720617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tragickenobi/pseuds/tragickenobi
Summary: obi wan is put back in vader's hands, things go somewhat less destructively than before.





	the rapture in the dark puts me at ease

**Author's Note:**

> in case the collection didn't make it apparent this is a sequel!! reading the first one will certainly help understand the plot and relationship dynamics
> 
> dedicated to lauren (love of my life, invented supporting my fics) and liz (whom without i would never have been able to turn this into my first 20k fic!)
> 
> edit- i had to link my teacher this so if she's reading this. i hope u appreciate the character delve and not the porn pleas forgive me

 

 

Obi Wan doesn't stay on Tatooine for long.

It's a difficult enough to readjust to the galaxy after all it's changes, especially with knowing he'll have Anakin chasing him down the moment his escape was made aware to him.

The first thing he'd done upon making it off the Destroyer was stretch the escape pod’s fuel to make it to Alderaan, the only one planet where he knew for certain that it'd be safe for him. Thankfully he was right; after some initial mild chaos after he'd landed practically on the palace’s front lawn, Obi had been allowed inside, and Bail’s first action had been to grab him into a hug uncharacteristically fast. According to him, it'd been assumed that Obi had been killed as a result of the duel, and Yoda hadn't been able to find him through the Force to confirm or deny it. But their hug at least gave a good few moments of contentedness, to ignore all that had gone wrong before they’d have to face it again.

The two of them spoke for a long time during their initial reunion. Obi Wan learned of Yoda’s self-imposed exile, confirmation of Padmé’s death but the surprising survival of her children. _Children_. When led to her, he couldn’t even start to pretend like he didn’t cry quietly when he held the infant daughter in his arms for the first time, could feel the Force quietly sing around her. It gave him a feeling of being back in the creche, having younglings within the Temple, which was a feeling he hadn’t even realized he’d missed so dearly. The child- Leia - is so similar to her parents already it pained him. Obi Wan understood almost immediately why the separation of the twins was necessary, as if only one of them is so strong and familiar within the Force, Anakin discovering them both in the same place would be inevitable.

As anxious as leaving made him, Obi wasn’t as fearful as he had been when he’d arrived. Despite the Empire, Alderaan was as he’d remembered, and as long as Bail was one of those at the helm he didn’t doubt that Leia was as safe as she could be. It was now his job to make sure it was the same with the other child, Luke. After a bit of awkwardness explaining the bruises (hickeys) along his neck, Obi Wan hugged Bail and Breha goodbye and wished them well, taking their list of allies for a possible resistance before going on his way.

For as nice as Alderaan was, Tatooine was awful but similarly just as unchanged. Obi Wan remembers little of it from when they'd been marooned on the planet many years ago, but from the memories - hot, dusty, sandy - it seems very much the same. After some searching around, he finds the Lars some ways outside of town, and the second child Luke in their care.

Luke has just as strong a presence as his sister, and is just as tiny in his arms. Beru lets him hold the baby for as long as he wants, even while Obi Wan can feel Owen’s discomfort with having him in their home. He knows it’ll likely be the last time he’ll get the chance to, and he cherishes the feeling of innocence in his arms for every second of it.

As aforementioned, he doesn't stay long. Just long enough to set up a home, hidden away in the desert, with the Lars’ farm in viewing distance from his binoculars, before he returns his focus to the greater evil looming on the horizon.

His resources are small, but there are some scraps of the Republic remaining scattered throughout the galaxy. There isn't much organized, but the minimal information Obi is able to give them is enough to spur some assembly. There's agreement there needs to be more information gathered, more concrete knowledge on what they're dealing with besides the secondhand words originally from someone most all agreed wasn't a trustful source.

While they work at recruiting for spies to retract such information, Obi Wan volunteers himself for work in helping to sabotage the Empire, in hopes to slow them and cause distractions. While not armed with a lightsaber, he supposes that too is for the better, as to lessen the chance of detection. There can be time to build a new one once the stakes aren’t so high.

Obi leaves Tatooine after a few months, keeping the Lars farm in his sights and setting up a few security measures should something evil be drawn to Luke while he’s gone. Even with his nerves, he’s undeniably a little relieved to leave back to space, to somewhere less heavy with memories.

Living on the lamb reminds him much of the Clone Wars, only much more lonely. He communicates with Bail most frequently, following any strand of information and whatever planet it leads him too. He's alone, relying on a blaster and mind tricks to get in and out and destroy whatever he can of the Empire’s supplies. All the while never coming across Anakin; only catching whispers about the man, of the Emperor’s second in command stalking the galaxy for the remaining Jedi.

It's not for almost a year later that his methods finally cause a slip up. Not long after a brief return to Tatooine- to look over Luke, and to hide out from the Empire, who'd been getting close to catching him prior- he's leaving again to go another small series of missions of sabotage. The ship makes it a day out before it's captured.

Obi Wan fights tooth and nail, but he's not going to deny his avoidance of conflict hasn't had an effect on him. Without a lightsaber, and without backup, he's taken down by a stun blast in under half an hour. And when he wakes up again, he's lying on the ground of a holding cell with his hands shackled in front of him. His lip is split and is noticeable almost immediately. This time, without anything to inhibit his use of the Force, he’s able to figure out where he’s being taken. He’s perfectly capable of removing his bindings, but he decides to keep them on, should the chance arise to gain some information on the Destroyer they’re flying towards; anything from the smallest bit about their ships to perhaps something about the Death Star.

Contrary to those plans, the Imperial ship stops, and they leave without bringing Obi aboard. He's perplexed, but decides to wait it out on the chance they come back; otherwise it'll take less than a few minutes to break himself out and hijack the ride back. He has a system of planets to bounce through to lose any trails before he can feel safe in going back to Tatooine.

Just as he begins to focus on breaking the bindings with the Force, Obi’s startled out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps, heavy and one after the other just out of sync. He's not given time to prepare, let alone figure out a reaction, before the door slides open, revealing Anakin.

A part of his mind acknowledges the name might no longer be appropriate, but he still can't imagine verbally acknowledging the new title everyone now knows him by. Aside from some new and smaller scars along his face, there's not much that's changed physically (and Obi can't imagine himself being any more different). As he stares up at the man, attempting to be vacant but struggling with not going up to him, a small smile spreads to Anakin’s face. He holds a hand out to the officers behind him before stepping into the room, the door sliding closed again seconds later. Obi Wan waits for several drawn out seconds before he stands, taking a small deep breath to calm himself. He considers the possibility that Anakin could very well have changed his tune since the last meeting and he might have to defend himself at any moment.

He tenses initially when Anakin takes the first step in, but there's next to no time to otherwise try and avoid the man. Anakin places his hands on the undersides of Obi Wan’s jaw and kisses him startlingly passionately, leaving Obi with little else to do but grab onto Anakin by the chest to keep his balance. Something like a lump forms in his throat, only to be ignored in favor of falling more into the kiss.

As sudden as it all is, it's equally sudden when Anakin pulls back, seemingly just noticing Obi’s condition. He frowns, looking him over before placing his hand against the bindings on Obi Wan’s wrists and they fall off moments later. Obi catches his breath with a hard swallow, still somewhat reeling from the rush of things coming back after their time being dormant.

Anakin’s hand lingers on Obi Wan’s wrist, gloved fingers tracing over the area and along the edge of his palm before letting the touch fall away. Obi watches him with a lower level of unease, catching himself from relaxing too quickly without any idea of what's come into the picture that could alter things.

“It took you some time to get caught,” Anakin smiles to himself; amused, not so much angry as Obi had assumed he'd be upon seeing him again. There's still an edge in the air - maybe from those officers still outside, maybe from Anakin himself - and so any comment on how this was completely accidental stays nonverbal. “But we’re not far from home, and I’ll deal with this” Anakin’s hand is against his jaw again, thumb swiping just beneath the cut on his lip; likely a result of his capture, if Obi Wan thinks about it. “in the meantime.”

Anything Obi could say is thrown out again when the door opens and Anakin places a hand on Obi’s back to guide him out first. The officers still stand at stiff attention, and it's impossible to not notice the tenseness to them. They're very clearly annoyed with the situation but outwardly hide it; though a new spike of nerves and distaste comes with seeing Obi Wan now roaming freely, though they either follow behind Anakin or split off once they see the two men exit the room.

“Send the officer in charge of the capture to me and ready my ship,” Anakin commands back to no officer in particular, “and destroy the offending ship at the next convenience.”

Obi Wan quietly crosses that off his list for escape before reaching out for Anakin through the bond, mostly still dormant with lack of use. He's not sure of the exact emotions that get transferred in the moment, but he feels Anakin respond with reassurance, biting anger not directed at him. ‘ _There won't be any of them from here out, none that you’d need to concern yourself with.’_

Upon leaving the Imperial ship, there's only a short walk through the conjoined Destroyer before he's led into what must be Anakin’s ship. There's little difference save for being larger, and normally barren areas have Anakin’s mark clearly among them (a similar closeness to his old quarters, cloaks and gloves poorly organized, and an unsettled Force signature still lingering, to name some of note). Obi Wan has just enough time to catch the few physical details he can as he allows himself to be ushered forward by Anakin into one of the ship’s rooms.

As he crosses the doorway, Anakin’s hand leaves. Obi turns in a brief moment of confusion, and Anakin gives him a gentle look and projected thought of ‘ _wait_ ’ before stepping back out, watching Obi Wan until the door closes between them again.

Obi Wan takes a brief look around and figures the room as barely for more than sleeping. He takes an uneasy deep breath and runs his thumb over the split on his lip, absently trying to figure where Anakin could take him this time. If not onto a ship like last time, then where?

Outside, a few voices come through the door muffled. Obi presses himself against it and reaches out to get a feeling of what's happening in the conversation. He doesn't get much past the still tense atmosphere before he feels a surge, followed quickly by a strangled noise. It dawns very quickly on what Anakin is doing (to the officer who’d captured Obi, he doesn't doubt) and Obi tries to get out of the room the second the realization hits him. He hits uselessly at the door once before trying to open it. There's no handle, and the panel is locked with a fingerprint scan. He continues to try and force his way from the room anyway, projecting and demanding Anakin to stop; he only stops once the noises stop with a final heavy weight hitting the ground.

Knowing his simple scrape was enough to get a man - an Imperial officer of course, but a man nonetheless- killed doesn't settle in Obi Wan’s stomach well.

What feels like forever ticks by before Obi finally feels the ship begin to depart. And once the turbulence dies down, the door finally opens. Anakin’s face is firmly set, and doesn't soften until the door closes again behind him with a click of finality. He moves close easily in the small space, kissing Obi Wan firmly once again; though this time he manages to end it within seconds, his concerns managing to escape being muted behind his relief to know Anakin is safe.

“Anakin,” he murmurs in an all too familiar tone, placing a hand on his chest to make sure he doesn't try to prematurely silence him again.

Thankfully, Anakin stops and gives Obi a look of confusion. It takes another moment before Obi can get his thoughts in order without distraction, fingers absently drumming against his chest. “What are you doing?” he finally asks, more exasperated with remembering how hesitant they'd both been before and now having that unexpectedly gone. Why Anakin hadn't instead doubled down on him to keep him from escaping again is beyond him.

After absorbing the question, Anakin’s smile loses some of its overwhelming cockiness (it's still _there_ undoubtedly, but doesn't overwhelm the entirety of his face). His hand curls gently around Obi Wan’s and he steps back close, smile slowly growing back when he isn't pushed away again. “You knew you’d miss me,” he answers quietly, lips brushing against Obi Wan’s cheek. “When you left, you knew; I could feel it. And now you're back- you came back to me. You came back.”

Something in Obi Wan’s chest tightens and grows warmer at the same time. He's thrown almost completely off by the sincerity in Anakin’s voice- who makes a point to continue kissing along his cheek to his jaw and neck with only occasional harsh graze of teeth, as if teasing a repeat of their previous intensity. And despite his months abroad, actively fighting against the Empire and seeing the damage it's done, he can't come up with a solid reason to remain so careful about it. Where before he'd had the singular goal of escaping, he's now been aimlessly put into Anakin’s arms. He can't figure much wrong with that.

He carefully places a hand against Anakin’s cheek and turns him back enough to initiate another kiss. Anakin smiles against him and responds eagerly, one hand moving to the small of Obi’s back with the other carding slowly through his hair. Another tightening sensation takes his chest as he gets used to kissing back, holding both sides of his face until they naturally pull back for air.

“Ground rules,” he murmurs quietly after catching his breath, “no killing people over me. No _more_ killing. And no cells; restraints, any of the sort.”

Anakin nods every time as if he'd never even considered doing either. “There’d be no need,” he promises before another kiss. Upon pulling back, he grins. “We’d miss each other too much.”

Obi Wan figures he's going to be reminded of that for however long he'll be with Anakin and simply rolls his eyes in somewhat ungenuine annoyance. He still can't bring himself to entirely regret leaving those emotions behind for Anakin to feel, and knowing with certainty there's more than just possible Stockholm syndrome is reassuring to say the least.

Past that, he's rather easily distracted by Anakin for a large duration of the flight. He's kissed practically over every inch of the tiny sleeping quarters, almost losing a shirt again before managing to stop Anakin from going _that_ far in ripping it. But it does wonders for easing his mind, having him focus solely on Anakin and keeping him as close as is physically possible. Anakin seems much calmer under these circumstances, though still undoubtedly tense and possessive, as if worried this will end just as abruptly as the last time they'd been alone together.

It only ends once Anakin deems it time to re-enter the cockpit as they near landing. Obi is left alone in the quarters again, lips faintly buzzing and ruffled up from the long-lasting attention. With the few moments alone, he fixes himself back up before considering his options. Ultimately, what he'll be doing will depend on where they are and how often Anakin will be with him; if they’ll see each other as sparingly as last time or more.

Several minutes pass and the ship touches down against the planet’s surface with a slight shudder. Anakin's opened the door the moment the ship settles, greeting Obi Wan again with a brief kiss before pulling him from the room. And while Anakin gives a word to the pilot, Obi slips back to the exit ramp to get a glimpse of where they are.

The brightness of it is startling. The sun casts an almost continuous glint across the grass, with only occasional thick-trunked trees breaking up the landscape. Just past the sun, two moons remain faintly in sight as they begin to rise over the horizon. He can see a very distant river winding just past a few slight hills. It's nowhere near what he'd expected, to say the least.

Anakin comes up behind him almost silently, giving a small push to his back to usher him forward. It's then that Obi Wan takes in what he likely should've noticed foremost. The landing pad they're above is directly parallel to a cliff’s edge, with the true bottom obscured by fog many meters down. To the right of that is the house- compound, something large. It reminds him more of palaces, except condensed down to fit on this cliff, and even then there's the indication that some of the lower levels have been built down into the cliff-side. It's all startlingly more intricate than he, again, would've imagined.

His reminders of the reality of his situation are Anakin’s hand never once leaving him and the Stormtroopers positioned at guard posts. He counts ten outside, undoubtedly with more inside. With the confusion likely leaking into their bond, Anakin elaborates.

“I told you- there's no need for you to be treated as a prisoner. And after you left before, I wanted you to have a place where you could be safe and protected. Somewhere brighter.”

“And under heavy surveillance,” Obi Wan adds, partly stuck on the concept of Anakin putting this level of dedication into creating a better environment for him- them.

“It's only security, Obi Wan. We can't have people trying to hurt us or you running off again.”

The front door is opened by a scan of Anakin’s hand, and the inside is no less of a spectacle of the exterior. It starts with one long hallway, with several rooms branching off from it, ultimately leading to a large courtyard. A large fence blocks off where the house ends and the lengthy fall would begin. Anakin’s hand moves up to cup the back of his neck, and Obi feels himself blush despite his efforts to ignore the growing sensation.

“The majority of it is yours, even when I have to leave,” Anakin continues to pull Obi Wan along, walking them into one of the side rooms rather than making a tour of it. Another bedroom, evidently, except this time much bigger and plushly furnished. “Your only limits are no off-planet communication with anyone but myself, and you cannot leave the grounds without accompanying guards. Any of my work information is already protected, so you have no reason to worry about concerning yourself with it.”

Obi Wan purposely keeps his mental eyebrow raise away from the bond. Though he now has some information that might be vital to figuring out more of the Empire. The place has the ability to contact other places, and if Anakin’s duties still pertain to the Death Star, vital weak spots could be accessible should he get the chance to get into the storage. It's still very little, but something; enough that he won't feel guilt for spending so much of his time focused on Anakin.

No thought either way goes very far in those initial moments. Not only does he not want to risk Anakin catching a glimpse of the things going through his head, but Obi just very much doesn't want to deal with considering it just yet. It's been a long day after all. When Anakin steps in to kiss him again, Obi Wan meets him halfway, and it's not bad at all.

 

-

  


Days pass, and in fact very little is bad at all.

Obi Wan half expects the power struggle to kick back in, but it never does. Anakin is almost as close to normal as he could be, always remaining close but hardly acknowledging anything non-vital outside of Obi. The guards never speak to him, and the service droids don't have enough personality to carry a conversation; unlike others he's known over the years. One could almost call it serene if not for the constant back-of-his-mind feelings of anxiety, knowing the Rebellion is operating without him.

An opportunity comes an estimated week and a half into it. He's asleep when it happens, but Anakin is called upon by the Emperor to destroy a believed rebel foothold. He waits until morning to leave, kissing Obi Wan incessantly and promising that he'll make the endeavor as quick as possible. And then he's gone within the hour.

Obi Wan watches him leave from the front door with a bittersweet feeling. He's been looking forward to exploring the property on his own for some time, and yet the actual reality of being alone reminds him much more harshly of his imprisonment- on a planet named Dantooine, as he later discovers. On top of the ten Stormtroopers outside, no less than five are inside at any time; two at the cliff’s edge, one at the door, and one outside a room Anakin neglected to share details of.

A few hours might be too close a waiting period from Anakin leaving before slipping into the communications room, but the safety of his friends is on an equally tight squeeze. Inside the room is a computer much like they'd had in the Temple, alongside a hologram system. Obi closes off the bond as if he's sleeping, as he doesn't doubt Anakin keeping tabs on him even from so far away.

After so many years of communication, Obi’s managed to memorize the frequencies of several planets, with Alderaan being among them. Without the knowledge, he can’t imagine how long it would’ve taken to figure it out, or attempt to project his warning mentally to Bail. After several minutes of tinkering with the computer- Anakin had evidently been very serious about keeping his communication limited- and halting his process several times to avoid making the guards suspicious, he manages to get the frequencies connected. It takes longer still to narrow things down further to Bail’s specific domain rather than risking sending it to the entire planet.

‘ _Empire sending strike against Talus. Evacuate any forces that might remain in the area- I’ll do all I can to update on possible reoccurances of this. Information on Imperial forces might come later should I be able to access them. Not a secure network, don’t send back. Stay safe.’_

He signs his initials, hoping it’s enough, before restarting the system, watching the safeguards he’d disabled to access the frequency come back into place one by one. And thus Obi spends the rest of the day in a state of heightened anxiety, over many things but particularly the safety of his friends, if his message even got through.

By the following day, he finds himself slipping back into the room again despite the danger there. And even with the risk, he can't stand it not to turn the safeguards off again, opening up the Alderaan frequency, almost hoping that they'd ignored his request to not send back. Despite that, his heartbeat quickens once a message comes through the moment the airway is cleared.

_‘Those lingering have been ordered out. I hope you're safe wherever you are, but it’s good enough to hear you're alive. If you can get us coordinates, we could have you rescued within a week. Until then, stay safe. Please update us as soon as is safe.’_

Part of Obi Wan acknowledges the most logical course of action would to be sending his location to Bail and hoping that a few rebels would arrive before Anakin came back. But as much as it is logical it seems just as much undoable.

_‘Nowhere near safe enough for a rescue. I’ll get out again in my own time, but until then I’ll keep you updated. Don't let it all fall apart without me there.’_

Over the course of several days, Obi manages to message Bail several more times, discussing more about the state of the growing rebellion and Obi Wan’s condition. Even if it might never happen again, the outside contact gives him a little more life. A reminder that the world doesn't begin and end at the edge of these grounds, as much as he cares for Anakin. There is a rebellion and children that need his tending to.

Almost a full week passes before Anakin returns, and that's seemingly enough to put everything else back on hold again; the rebellion, thoughts of escape, the other life on the planet altogether.

It's just barely past midday when the building receives a transmission, for once actually from Anakin to inform that he'd be back before the end of the day. And just hours later, the sound of the ship landing overwhelms the area. Obi Wan watches it touch down before readying himself, hoping that at least the man will be in a mood somewhat resembling positive. He looks over himself and fixes the robes at his shoulders, almost-gone hickeys catching his eye before he makes himself start walking, to at least meet Anakin at the door.

He's halfway down the hall when the front door slides open and slides closed behind Anakin. Even from the small distance, the already intense expression only adds to the sudden wave of it coming at him through the Force. Obi Wan only has a few moments to hesitate, to begin to ready a stance to defend from Anakin should this go the direction he assumes it'll go.

Just as he opens his mouth to attempt some kind of soothing dialogue, Anakin takes him by the shoulders and nearly takes him off the ground with the strength of it, kissing him hard enough to halt any possible intrusive thought. Obi Wan’s eyes briefly widen before Anakin’s hands start to move and he slips into it smooth as ever. His heart is still racing with adrenaline by the time Anakin’s began to move them towards the bedroom door, only then remembering the fact that there are guards around; but by then the door’s closed behind them, and he's got other things to focus on.

Patience has never been a particularly dominant trait of Anakin’s, and it’s evident they won’t be working on that today. Obi’s face darkens a shade at how easily he’s moved (though he can feel the Force helping Anakin along with it) while attempting to keep up with what’s going on. One moment they’re kissing while Anakin keeps them moving, and then the next they’re somehow already at the bed and now Anakin’s on top of him. His robe is coming off, there’s a very prominent thought of having to keep Obi Wan in less from henceforth thrown through the bond, and then teeth sink into his shoulder and he jerks.

“Anakin-” Obi Wan starts a sentence that’s supposed to go somewhere in the end, but the moment the name is out, Anakin’s moved back over him, hovering just inches away from Obi’s face. Nothing else comes out of his mouth. The two stare at each other for several long moments, both panting heavily before Anakin carefully prods at their bond, sending his question nonverbally. Obi Wan’s heartbeat quickens a little further and any lingering faint hesitations finally crumble to pieces. He nods absently, beginning to undo Anakin’s robes with a similar frantic energy.

That’s barely off before Anakin kisses him again, leaving next to no room between them. Hands grip briefly at his forearms, then move to his wrists with a little more certainty, pulling them away until the backs of his hands press into the bed just above his head. He can't budge them even once Anakin’s hands have moved back to get the rest of his clothes off. Appropriate, he figures.

A full-body shiver rolls over him when Anakin bites down at his shoulder, adding to the rapidly reddening skin across his neck and collarbone. Obi attempts to move several times to no avail, the Force gripping his arms not even faltering in its strength. He hasn't exactly done this enough times to know if this will lead to bruises like a real grip would.

While Anakin is very clearly focused on his efforts, Obi Wan manages to get a grip on their bond and feel a little more of a thought process. It's a loud mix of _missed you missed you want you no one is going to keep me from you anymore_ , and the overwhelmingness of it makes him go further lax against the bed with another small rise of heat to his face. He doesn't look and see if Anakin really smiled or if he imagined feeling it.

It's jarring when the metal prosthetic brushes on the outside of his thigh, making a grip before pulling Obi further down the bed where the Force holding him down still only barely falters. Anakin looks up at him and grins softly to himself, halting a moment before bending back down to kiss him once again. Obi makes a quiet noise and struggles his best to press up against the feeling of him just inches above him.

“Still, baby,” Anakin’s voice comes out deeper than it usually is and there’s no chance of even pretending like it doesn’t send a jolt of something up Obi Wan’s spine. “I’m going to give you want you want.”

He pushes back in and takes Obi’s lip between his teeth, biting harshly before letting go with the same grin as before. Obi Wan exhales shakily and opens his eyes to stare up at Anakin, feeling like he’s been here strung out for hours rather than what can’t be more than half an hour. And maybe it’s his own mistake for thinking it’s going to be straightforward from there; as after several more moments of Anakin continuing to mess around with kissing along the hickeys, new sensations start to press into him. Manifestations that feel like hands grabbing at him until it feels more like he has three Anakins on top of him, each doing their own separate thing to rile Obi up. The only response he can form is a whine and dropping his head back, mouth slightly agape with the sensation of a finger pressing against his bottom lip.

Anakin himself is the one that briefly silences him with another rough kiss, knee pressing in between Obi Wan’s legs to spread them just enough to get between. It seems impossible that they haven't gotten here before, which must only be chalked up to having distracted from it with something lesser and Anakin having to have used all his patience. Obi’s anticipation continues to keep his heart rate high as a result.

There's a little more communication through their bond, mostly consisting of somewhat dignified pleading and the warm feeling of Anakin pushing so much of his affections through to him. Obi almost misses when Anakin actually moves and grabs lube from somewhere out of his field of vision. The Force projections of touch keep him otherwise occupied and distracted, attempting to press against them even knowing there's nothing.

Anakin’s back over him within seconds, a thin layer of sweat gleaming over the edge of his forehead while he looks over Obi Wan. Obi tries again to push against the hold on him in a moment of intense desire to kiss him, but of course goes nowhere, and Anakin smiles to himself at the sight. He brings his prosthetic up and runs it through Obi Wan’s hair slowly, the cool contrast working immediately in bringing back some level of collection.

The grip in his hair slowly tightens until Anakin tugs his head back and he takes as long as he can in leaving hickeys along the bottom of Obi’s jaw. Shivering and long past desperate, Obi Wan grits out Anakin’s name and uses their bond to his advantage; figuring Anakin can already feel most of what he's thinking, opting to hold back very little in terms of desperation. He both heard and feels the low groan he causes in the man.

Even with his encouragement (begging, whatever word might fit), he's almost taken off guard by Anakin’s hand pushing down lower past his stomach again. The hand in his hair tightens its grip again before mellowing again, lightly brushing his scalp and creating goosebumps as a result. Obi can almost feel how hot he is just from the contrast of Anakin’s hand hovering not even an inch over him, muscles weakly straining in a last effort.

Anakin starts slow, moving to kiss Obi Wan again before pushing his first two fingers in; he's well distracted and the initial burn is almost gone by the time it registers with him. He tries to muffle his whimper, frustration growing with his inability to so much as try and squirm. Seemingly aware of this, Anakin seems less intent to tease Obi with the slowness of his actions. Instead he's focused on being as quick but thorough as possible.

Slowly, Obi is given back bits of mobility. Anakin quietly praises him as he slowly lets go of the grip on most of his body. His hands still remain pinned above his head, but he immediately revels in being able to rock back against Anakin’s hand. His thighs have yet to stop shaking.

“How bad do you want it?” Anakin bumps his nose against Obi Wan’s cheek, hot breath doing nothing to make the goosebumps go away.

Obi Wan drops his head back and shuts his eyes tighter, groaning “Anakin,” in a mix of frustration and pleading.

He hears Anakin chuckle before he opens an eye to give him a look, attempting to catch his breath despite shivering every time he pushes his fingers a little deeper in. With a small noise of consideration when Obi Wan doesn't say anything further, he promptly pulls them almost all the way out, only teasing the edge.

“Tell me,” Anakin whispers lower, dragging his teeth against the side of Obi Wan’s jaw. “now.”

Obi shuts his eyes and digs his nails into his palms, trying to ignore the rush of heat that goes up to his face. It takes a moment for him to find his voice to the strength where it won't break, exhaling shakily before whispering back “please”. His voice breaks anyway. “I just- _Anakin_ -”

Above him, Anakin makes a noise before pushing his fingers in deep one more and then pulling them out completely this time. Obi Wan can’t make a noise frustrated enough to convey how he feels about that. Without much warning, Anakin pulls him further up the bed and places his prosthetic hand over Obi’s wrists to replace the Force grip. He stares down at the man hungrily for several long seconds, still not breaking eye contact as he uses his other hand to hurry his pants off. Obi softly presses up against Anakin’s hand and gets a small boost of adrenaline when he feels the hand squeeze back.

Anakin’s chest is almost heaving more than Obi’s by the time he settles between his legs for good, pulling them up to rest Obi’s thighs near his hips. The grip on his wrists is briefly taken back by the Force while Anakin reaches back to find the lube where he’d left it. Once again he’s unable to rock his hips back to try and do anything to Anakin in return.

Once Anakin has taken his sweet time in readying himself and making sure Obi Wan is as well, he places his hand back over Obi’s wrists again and leans down to kiss him, groaning quietly into the man’s mouth. Obi makes a similar noise and expels some of his desperation out into the kiss, following Anakin’s mouth until he pulls too far back to follow with his restraints.

“Tell me again,” Anakin whispers, pressing their foreheads together with a quiet exhale. “Say my name; tell me how bad you want this.”

He teasingly rolls his hips forward, dicks brushing together in the first moment of intentional friction Obi Wan has been given and the full-body shiver is as about as played-down a reaction as he can give. The heat returns to his cheeks within moments. Anakin is certainly never silent and never has been for all the times they’ve messed around, but this is easily the most confident and relaxed about it that he’s been. There’s a little embarrassment in how much he likes it.

Anakin tilts his head to nip teasingly at Obi’s earlobe, grinning as he presses more into their bond. It being nonverbal does nothing to stop him from blushing more intensely in response to what’s being sent to him.

“Say it,” Anakin presses several heavy kisses against Obi Wan’s neck, grip slightly tightening on his wrists simultaneously. It’s able to be felt when he grins again, voice now a little more playful. “Come on. Say it for me.”

He continues to slowly rut up against Obi while he speaks, light enough to where it’s not enough to be satisfying to relieve some of the tenseness. “Anakin,” he groans quietly, dropping his head back against the pillows with a soft whine.

“I promise I’ll fuck you just the way you want. Just say my name and it’ll all be so good for you.”

Obi Wan feels the faint brush of Force caress the inside of his thigh, teasing frustratingly close to where Anakin’s supposed to be focused on. He presses up just enough to get Anakin’s mouth in a kiss, engrossed in the bite of it until they’re calmed a little. Finally he finds his voice, shaky and still with their lips brushing together in their closeness. “Please. Please, Anakin, please I want-”

For as adamant as Anakin had been, he doesn’t seem particularly interested in wherever the rest of that sentence was supposed to go. The moment his name leaves Obi’s mouth, Anakin lets go of his wrist and hoists one of his legs up higher, finally pushing in in a fluid singular thrust. Obi Wan’s mouth drops open with the rush of pleasure that knocks into him, gripping to him through their bond. Anakin manages to wait just a little longer for the both of them to adjust to the overwhelming sensation before he starts up again, bending Obi’s leg in towards his chest and draping himself more over Obi Wan. It’s then that Obi becomes aware that he’s been given back mobility of his hands and he doesn’t waste a moment; immediately he clings to Anakin physically as well, digging his nails into his back within seconds.

Neither are exactly quiet. Obi Wan does his best, but he figures it’s not his fault if most of them are a direct result of how intense Anakin sets the pace, fucking him hard enough he’s almost convinced there’ll be an imprint of them in the bed from then on. When he can catch his breath, the silence then is filled with his gasps of “Anakin” and incoherent nonsense. He doesn’t believe he’ll stop blushing until decades have passed. Anakin is the opposite, limited in his noises but with never-ending talk and praise. He continues to scratch at Anakin’s back and shoulders with almost each thrust.

Time goes somewhat fluid as the rhythm goes on and Obi Wan’s only sense of change is when Anakin moves his hands or kisses, marks somewhere different than he'd been doing before. And even then he's so lost in how overwhelming it all seems to be; the constant and intense rhythm, Anakin’s mouth against his throat and chest, the still persisting feelings of the Force around them when Anakin can manifest the concentration to work with it.

The hand not holding Obi’s leg against his chest reaches up from Obi’s side and buries itself deeply with a grip in his hair, pulling him those extra few inches closer before pressing their foreheads back together. Anakin sends all he needs to through their bond, his encouragements and praising and _you're the most beautiful thing I’ve held_ ’s and it's too much to take in. Obi is sure he's still babbling nonsense but he can't hear any of it himself. What he does hear is his own cry when the band of tension in his stomach snaps, mouth agape as his nails continue to scrape at Anakin’s back as the intensity of his orgasm hits him.

There's nothing much he can do besides cling to Anakin tightly as he rides it out and continues to be stimulated by the man still fucking into him. Though that too is over within the minute. Obi Wan keeps their foreheads pressed together, more mouthing against each other than actually kissing when they can get that close. Anakin’s chest continues to heave as he catches his breath, running his prosthetic along Obi’s leg after pulling it back from being against his chest the way it had been.

It takes them several minutes further to gather the willpower to start moving again. Anakin properly separates the two and remains above him for a moment, slightly red in the cheeks as well. After recollecting himself as much as is possible, Obi Wan can focus properly on him, absently pushing the hair out of both their faces.

With a tired smile, he murmurs “I take it you missed me?”

Anakin huffs out a laugh and cups Obi Wan’s cheek to kiss him. Then he shifts onto his side, continuing to lazily press kisses over the hickeys on Obi’s neck in between sentences. “I should never have been away so long. It was all pointless, it only served to separate us it feels.”

That answers Obi’s question about the possible rebels, and a little bit of lingering unease leaves him at that. He hadn’t been too late in warning them.

“I’m glad you missed me too,” Anakin continues quietly, carding his hand through Obi Wan’s hair and kissing his cheek with a grin.

Obi blushes embarrassingly again and shakes his head, stretching himself and moving more onto his side than his back. “It’s lonely here without you, of course I did,” he attempts to excuse the genuine longing he’d felt for Anakin, probably poorly considering both his exhaustion and lingering euphoria.

Even still, the smile on Anakin’s face dampens as he continues to trace intricate patterns along Obi’s scalp. “I won't leave you alone that long again. I’d make it safe, wherever I’d have to go, to bring you with me for the longer ones. Nowhere near nice as here but” he shrugs, thumb dragging along Obi Wan’s cheek, “the best.”

Strategically, Obi accepts the idea within moments, unable to imagine it’d be particularly hard to keep the Rebellion one step ahead of the Empire’s plans. Emotionally, traveling with Anakin even just a hair like they had before can't be bad. Not bad at all. He sends his approval through their bond before pulling himself a little closer, resting his head against his arm and resting his eyes shut. He doesn't need to see Anakin to know he's smiling again. The man sends his fondness to him in response, leaving kisses over a majority of his face before settling beside him, arms wrapping around his sides loosely. He's soft and warm and almost painfully intoxicating to curl up against.

Obi Wan falls asleep, and when he wakes up, Anakin is getting dressed just feet away from the bed.

It takes him several moments to realize he's alone in the bed to begin with. The covers are tucked over him, with his cloak laid on the top as well. He blinks heavily several times, watching Anakin for several moments before genuinely taking anything in, watching him move to the closet across the room. Red lines drag down his back to just the bottom edge of his shoulder blades. Obi only gets one clear look before Anakin puts his shirt on.

“What are you doing?” he asks softly, pushing his hair back somewhat into its normal position.

Anakin looks back at him as if he hadn't noticed the man awakening. He glances down at himself as he adjusts his sleeves and slowly makes his way back over as he does. “The Emperor requested me. Something he didn't want to communicate over hologram.”

Obi Wan is suddenly very awake. He frowns, sitting up as Anakin picks up the cloak from the bed. “You just came back- what else could he need you for so soon?”

He can't quite pin the look on Anakin’s face- embarrassment? Sadness? “I don't know. But it should be no more than an overnight stay at most; I’ll be back by tomorrow morning. Maybe sooner if it's not as urgent as I think.”

Obi’s frown doesn't go away, starting to get out of bed before remembering the fact that he's still not wearing anything. He blushes, more so when Anakin smiles and hands over his own, stepping back to the closest to retrieve another for himself. Obi Wan hurriedly puts it on and wraps his arms around himself to keep it closed, standing and following Anakin. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” he asks softly, pretending not to also be thinking about how bad he wants Anakin to stay for even just a day longer.

Anakin looks back at him, looks down at the sight of him in the grossly too-large robe, and smiles to himself. “I’ll be back by tomorrow,” he repeats, taking one of Obi Wan’s hands and kissing it gently. “And until then I’ll be thinking of nothing but you. But I can make it a few hours.”

Obi’s heart aches, knowing that even with Anakin’s words, they'd been away from each other for what had felt like ages, and had barely done anything but fuck before now suddenly Anakin once again has to leave. While he is aware they can't stay on Dantooine forever, he had hoped Anakin would remain with him throughout most of it.

“Then stay safe,” Obi murmurs, squeezing Anakin’s hand and pushing his own worry back briefly to manage a small smile. “You know where to find me.”

Anakin smiles again as well and steps closer. “I look forward to coming back to this,” he leans down and catches Obi Wan’s mouth in one of their softer kisses, bringing both his hands to Obi’s hips and then to hold the small of his back. Obi makes a quiet noise of content and holds the robe closed with one hand, the other resting against Anakin’s cheek. They come apart naturally, lightly panting until Obi’s pulled out of it as Anakin absently traces his thumb along his bottom lip.

Once it becomes apparent they’re doing nothing more than delaying the inevitable, Anakin forcefully exhales and nods to himself. “I’ll be back.”

Obi Wan nods softly and takes Anakin’s hand in a gentle squeeze before dropping it again and stepping back. It’s almost expected as Anakin steps back in for one last kiss, a lot harder and more desperate than the previous one had been. A physical way of expressing how much he doesn’t want to go. This time, after it’s over, Anakin manages to leave the room, and within several minutes of finalizing and keeping the guards updated, he’s gone again.

Obi watches him leave, pretends that he doesn’t feel the knot in his chest, and goes back to bed.

  


-

 

_“Your compassion for Kenobi distracts you, Lord Vader. He has more control over you than you do of him.”_

_“He is our ally, master. Without him, I fear I’d forget- what I could lose if the rebellion is allowed to grow.”_

_“Kenobi_ is _the rebellion; one cannot exist without the other. He knows this and he uses your compassion to further his ends.”_

_“The building is guarded and the computers can only contact my ship; with all due respect, master, he couldn't do so if he wanted to.”_

_A bodiless chuckle. “You overestimate his level of compassion for you. He's hardly been in your care more than a handful of days and already he converses with the rebels to destroy us. Kenobi has no loyalties to you.”_

_There starts a pause of considerable length. “I would have known if he had.”_

_“We of all people know what lies the Jedi are capable of, what they will do for their own survival. Kenobi values his spirituality above your acts of extremely generous kindness, and has since the beginning.”_

_No response is offered. The voice continues “I suggest removing him, placing him in a higher security establishment under my supervision, until he can be trusted or-”_

_“No. No I will deal with this myself. And I will send back what I learn.”_

_“Do not disappoint me then, Vader. If this- project, of yours, has such importance to you, you will halt this problem before I am forced to intervene for the security of the Empire.”_

_“I understand, master.”_

Obi Wan wakes with a jolt.

Within moments he can feel the dream fading from his memory, but the identities of the voices remain very clearly. He doesn’t know if he dreamt his worst case or if he’d gotten a true insight into what had occurred in Anakin’s meeting. But something is twisted up in his throat, and he’s blocked from the bond from Anakin’s side. He hopes that just means he’s discussing something related to the Empire.

After some time of lying awake anxiously, Obi Wan dozes on and off throughout the rest of the day. It’s a comfort to know that within a few hours Anakin will have joined him back in bed. His hand brushes over his hickeys absently every time the thought comes to him. Though he finally can fall asleep no longer at some point in the middle of the night, and thus begins the real waiting process. He roams the grounds without objective- looking over the foggy cliff’s edge, showering more than once, debating investigating the rooms he hadn’t been to yet but ultimately deciding against because of the small time frame left.

Finally, the sound of the ship landing comes just an hour past the sunrise. His excitement spikes a significant amount alongside his anxiety. After hurriedly removing his outer robe and putting it back in the closet, Obi Wan gets himself back into the hallway and waits.

Similar to last time, Anakin enters with an intensity about him. It's indistinguishable what kind until he's closer, and by then it's far too late to try and do anything. By the time he recognizes the low burn of rage humming in the Force around him, Anakin is upon him. He grabs Obi Wan by the shoulder and pushes him hard enough that it’s a miracle the door opens in time for them. Anakin’s name is halfway out his mouth before he hits the wall. Obi makes a noise of pain, body tense with readiness to defend himself when Anakin’s hand grips him by the jaw and forces him to look at him.

“Who did you contact?” he demands, voice shaky but relatively calm in contrast to the expression of rage on his face. His eyes are changing right in front of Obi Wan, deep yellow washing into his irises.

Obi’s stomach pitches, hoping beyond logic that Anakin might still listen to him. He uncertainly grips Anakin’s wrist with both hands in an effort to remove their contact. “Anakin, I didn’t-”

The Force grabs onto his wrists abruptly and rip them away from Anakin, pinning his hands to the wall at his sides without an inch of wiggle room. His chest tightens from anxiety alone. Anakin’s jaw clenches, and without a word he draws his lightsaber, pressing the hilt under Obi’s chin.

“Do not lie to me.” Anakin pauses between each word, pressing the hilt harder into Obi Wan every word until his head is pressed back into the wall as well. One press of the button to activate the weapon and he’d be dead in the blink of an eye. “You sent transmissions out; who did you send them to?”

Obi Wan winces his eyes shut and clenches his fists, trying not to be distracted by the cold lightsaber digging into him. The thought comes that Anakin cares for him so much he wouldn't do such a thing, and yet he knows better than to cling to that. Angry like this, Anakin likely won't hesitate should he be given a reason.

“It wasn't anything, Anakin, it was just-”

Anakin digs the hilt in deeper, apparently deciding this is just not enough intimidation and decides to bring his other hand up. He lightly wraps it around Obi Wan’s throat, not enough to obstruct anything but enough to do it's purpose. “Don't lie to me,” he threatens again, voice shaking.

Obi Wan attempts to control his breathing and does his best to stomp down the instinct to try and free himself from any of the holds. Though with their bond still closed from the one side, it allows his thoughts to be in a little more of a scrambled chaos.

“It was only Bail, Anakin, it wasn't-” Anakin’s grip minutely tightens on Obi Wan’s throat and he falters, a new spike of fear racing through his chest. “It was just a few talks, it wasn't anything.”

Anakin’s face doesn't change from it’s rageful snarl, and Obi attempts to save himself from whatever it is must be coming. “It was just- Anakin, we were just making sure the other was okay.”

He can practically hear the grinding of Anakin’s teeth, hand still faintly shaking with how hard he has to be gripping the lightsaber digging into him. “So you went behind my back to get rescue.” he states flatly.

Obi exhales quietly and closes his eyes. “There was thought but-”

“I’ll kill him the next time the thought so much as passes his mind,” Anakin snaps and promptly digs the hilt as roughly as it can go without breaking skin.

The anxious tightness in his chest migrates up to Obi’s throat, reminding himself what Anakin has shown himself capable of. Using the largest burst of energy he can, he hurriedly pushes against Anakin’s grip on his wrists and breaks them. Anakin looks down and seemingly only has time to be surprised before Obi Wan pushes back, sending him into the wall on the other end of the room.

There's a moment of tense silence as Anakin recovers himself, still visibly holding back from going against Obi Wan. And Obi shakily takes in a deep breath, staring back at the man in quiet disbelief. “There was thought,” he repeats, “but I told him I would be safe here; I would be okay.”

Anakin’s expression doesn't change, only wavers in the slightest. There's no rebuttal before he turns and storms from the room, and seconds later, Obi Wan hears the sound of the lightsaber activate, and he can assume what’s been destroyed. He exhales slowly, bringing a hand back up to his throat to feel over it. It's likely if bruises do form, they'll get lost in the hickeys still rather than be distinguishable from them.

He shakily sits down on the bed and briefly puts his head in his hand. It pounds with stress. It doesn't surprise him when he hears the door open and close again, and then no more footsteps echo in the hall.

Anakin leaves, and Obi Wan forces himself not to count the days that he's gone this time. If he had to guess, he'd say not much longer than a week. The most he can gather is he'd gone to one of the Star Destroyers, taking some command of the Death Star again while occasionally inquiring on the state of things back on Dantooine. Since the transmissions computer had been destroyed, there's no way for them to share any conversation.

Obi Wan tries a number of things to try and take his attention off the situation. Sleeping works once, and from there's he's plagued with the same persisting images of being attacked and only once he's awake does he start to breathe again. He exhausts every room he can get into, meditates for hours until there's hardly a thought he hasn't gone over half a dozen times already.

The most reckless he gets is attempting to figure out how far he can go outside the grounds. He makes it just past the landing pads before one of the Stormtroopers catches up to him and demands he come back. Obi Wan asks what he intends to do- “because if you lay a hand on me, Vader will kill you; and if you don't bring me back, he will still kill you”- and after several minutes of watching him flounder he decides to just mind trick the poor man back inside. Even without supervision he can't bring himself to wander too far. Only enough to get a better look of the planet. The hills appear to stretch for miles, as does the cliff, without any sign of a major city or anything of the like.

After however long, Obi finds himself sleeping through the day. The bed is far too big to be comfortable in it on his own, but he wasn't expecting to be joined in it again anytime soon. Rather, several moments after waking, he becomes aware of the man sitting on the edge of the bed just close enough to be in arm's reach.

He almost jumps, but instead forces himself almost motionless as he wakes himself up faster. It's when he's able to confirm the man as Anakin that he has to settle on feeling either fearful or relieved. But the bond is now reopened on Anakin’s side, and Obi figures that has to mean something.

“I didn't want to leave for so long again,” Anakin says softly, only being partially startling that he'd known Obi Wan had been awake without a word said between them. Obi sits up slowly and catches a glimpse of his face, the dark gauntness to it like he hadn’t slept since he'd left. “But- Obi Wan, what am I to do when you prove you can so easily betray my trust? I thought we were past this?”

He looks back at Obi Wan and rests his elbows against his knees, the expression of sadness barely overshadowed by a still lingering anger. Obi frowns quietly and assumes a similar position, wondering how much he can safely say and if it'll be enough to reassure Anakin. “Bail had helped me, without him I don't know where I would've ended up after I left. I owed him at least a little knowledge on what’s happened.”

There's another look of possessiveness that flashes over Anakin’s face.

“Anakin, if I had wanted to leave, I could've when you were gone. If I had asked Bail to help, I would be gone by now.” Obi moves himself so he's sitting closer to the man, reaching out to run a hand through Anakin’s hair softly. To his relief, he doesn't flinch away.

Quietly, Anakin exhales and stands, removing his outer robe, and it thought occurs to Obi Wan that he'd waited on Obi to wake before settling back in. “And still I only asked you to not contact others and not stray. The last thing I want to do is treat you like I had before but-” he shakes his head and closes the closet after leaving the robe inside. “You put yourself at risk to be taken away from me. I can't lose you too.”

Obi Wan frowns to himself and leaves the bed as well to stand at Anakin’s side. Through their bond, he sends a simple _you won’t_ , resting his forehead against the man’s shoulder. The contact is something he's sorely missed.

Above him, Anakin audibly swallows. A hand comes up to hold the side of his face, and Obi finds he enjoys the feeling of the glove despite himself. It's then that Anakin sends through an _I’m so sorry_ , and the weight of it is still hitting Obi as Anakin turns and pulls him in to a kiss, initially soft but rapidly intensifying. He figures the additional week apart really didn't do much in terms of getting them used to being separate. Obi brings his hands up to Anakin’s chest and grips at him, leaning into his touch.

Obi’s heart lodges itself somewhere in his throat as Anakin presses him into the wall, kissing him deeper while hands drag along his shoulders. He hadn’t ever let it occur to himself how much he’d truly missed this, pulling at Anakin to get him closer like there’s any more room for him to come in. His mind races from thought to thought. He’s missed this, missed remembering how warm and all-encompassing he feels, and that maybe if the existence of his children are any sign of it, there’s a chance more if it will come back.

It doesn’t occur to him until after Anakin’s stopped that thinking such things so openly was a mistake.

Anakin is staring at him, eyes wide with half a dozen emotions rushing across his face every other moment. Obi Wan opens his mouth as he fumbles, unsure if attempting to lie would work or if it’s now better to fess up. He doesn’t get past the first syllable of Anakin’s name before he feels the man suddenly slam through their bond, angry and desperate and grasping at even the slightest there-and-gone thought of useful information. Obi winces at the intensity, barely holding Anakin out of his mind. It’s a war for several intense seconds, Anakin’s hands holding him still against the wall and using all his mental strength to try and push through, while Obi uses the same effort to keep the location of the children buried somewhere deep in his mind.

Eventually, Obi Wan grits out Anakin’s name between his teeth and physically pushes him away, which seems to do the trick. Anakin’s eyes are fluctuating between colors again, still staring at Obi Wan in disbelief and what's somewhat anger. Obi once again tries to formulate something of a response, trying to properly explain, and once again he never gets the chance. Instead, Anakin moves toward the door and throws it open, which finally spurs Obi Wan forward as well. He hurries after him, catching Anakin’s order to the guard to ready him his ship.

Obi Wan grabs him by the arm, snapping “Anakin, _stop_ ” as he pulls him back to slow his stride.

Anakin uses the rest of his momentum to spin around, and the Force all but vibrates with the rush of emotions pouring out from him. “You knew about them; you hid this too. You _knew_ \- you-”

“ _Anakin_ ,” Obi Wan cuts him off harshly, holding his ground rather than accepting his instinct and stepping back to get out of Anakin’s range. Thankfully, the man stops, chest heaving and the tint of his eyes continuing to wobble. Obi takes a small breath, not looking away as he slowly lets go of Anakin’s arm and instead cups his cheek. “Anakin, think. You couldn’t have known.”

“But they’re alive- I have _two_ children _alive_ ,” Anakin closes his eyes and forces a deep breath, the struggle to keep his temper under control able to be felt faintly through their bond. “I have to see them, know where they are, get them safe.”

“And if you find them, they’ll be in danger,” Obi Wan counters, keeping his voice level. “If the galaxy knows about them, and someone wants to hurt you or the Empire, who do you think will be the first people they’ll go to? Who will be the first people in harm’s way if Sidious-”

Anakin shakes his head; his eyes are back to normal again upon opening them, but the agitation is still poignant in the air. “He’d never. I’d kill him if he tried. If he ever even thought.”

Obi nods softly in agreement. “If he never knows about them, he’ll never have the chance to hurt them. Going to them will only put them in harm’s way like I am now.”

It’s then silent for several long moments, until Anakin slowly drops the tension in his body, allowing himself to turn slightly into Obi Wan’s hand. Some of Obi’s stress dissipates as well, less on his guard as he steps closer, bringing his other hand up to join the first and hold Anakin’s face carefully. He’s able to properly reach into their bond now, doing all he can to further comfort the man until his breathing has leveled out; all he's sure of is that he has to keep him calm.

Anakin is verbally silent longer than he is mentally, doing the minimal in responding directly to Obi Wan. It doesn’t feel much better seeing him so distressed all over again, losing tension but still fighting the urge to storm away once again and track down his children, bring them back. As much as the concept stirs something in Obi Wan as well, he could never put them as risk like that, nor could he with their adoptive families.

Finally, Anakin speaks. “What are they like?”

Obi Wan smiles sadly and keeps one hand on Anakin’s cheek while the other cards back gently through his hair, as slow and rhythmic as he can make it. In lieu of verbal response, Obi Wan sends through the limited amount that he can into their bond. The feeling of holding them, the warmth and gentleness of it all without giving away any hints of location or those around them. Anakin’s hand grips at Obi Wan’s shoulder and makes a noise that almost sounds like he's begun to cry, but upon opening his eyes he can see there are no tears.

“They're angels,” Obi promises quietly, kissing his forehead. “And both are safe and hidden, and you won't lose anyone else if there's anything I can do about it.

Anakin nods absently, conflict still clearly affecting him to the point of seemingly exhaustion. His face is still noticeably gaunt, expression grim. Obi Wan can only imagine having to deal with the entire situation prior to this and learning that the children he'd thought were dead are actually alive. He does his best to continue to be gentle with the man, running the same several thoughts of comfort and of the children through the bond to Anakin.

By the end of the night, they're both asleep in the same bed again, with Obi slightly sat up to accommodate Anakin having fallen asleep against his chest. There's a consistent hum of adoration coming through the bond, making the bad circumstances feel a little further away.

 

-

 

There are hands around his neck, squeezing until what little he can make out is being phased out by spots in his vision. Anakin is on top of him, face impassive despite it. A loop of _you betrayed me_ plays without a visible source.

Obi Wan’s eyes open. Anakin isn't on top of him, and the room all but rings with the silence. He realizes moments later how heavy his breathing is, staring up at the dark ceiling and attempting to tone down his anxiety with his knowing this as the same nightmare he's had ever since.

It takes several moments to properly calm himself down, but once he feels a little better sinking back into bed, Obi focuses on reaching out for Anakin. A moment of searching turns him up above him- the roof. He questions the location, but figures the only way he’ll know is if he goes up to join him.

After grabbing a robe to keep himself warm, Obi Wan walks around in scouting out the roof entrance. It ends up being a retractable ladder near the field separating the cliff’s edge from the rest of the building.

The roof itself is a rather spacious endeavor in of itself. There are no guards- they may have been perhaps dismissed for the night- and the edge of the building's jut and smoothly curve into the roof, creating something akin to a large connected bench. Anakin is sitting on the side closest to the cliff, chin resting against his arms. Obi pulls himself up properly and closes the door behind him, slowly approaching Anakin with a reach into the bond to alert him to his presence in case he'd missed it.

There isn't a physical response initially, but Anakin sends acknowledgment through their bond as Obi Wan sits down beside him. Bags still remain prominently under his eyes. He wonders how long Anakin had even been asleep.

“It feels impossible to rest,” Anakin comments softly, glancing around the stars.

Obi finds himself looking at them as well, then down at the fogged over chasm below. “A lot has happened. I can't imagine you'd absorb half of it before a day has passed.” He adjusts how he sits and takes one of Anakin’s hands in an attempt of reassurance.

Anakin glances down at their hands before exhaling forcefully, resting his chin on his free hand. “Hardly even absorption. I can't imagine sleep. After what's happened you're still in danger of being taken from me, even though I know- I believe you that you didn't intend to leave.”

“And your children-”

“I know they're safe. If you say they're safe, then it's likely no harm will ever come to them as a result of me; they're as safe as is possible. But you still in danger no one else will protect you, and it feels as if I’m reaching the peak of influence, and within time _I’ll_ be unable to protect you at all.”

“It seems more as if you're only blocked by one man- thing,” Obi comments, and even then he barely comprehends what it means. If he intends to insinuate how powerful Anakin could be if he manages to escape from under the Emperor’s foot.

Anakin glances up at him with an almost defensive expression and Obi Wan decides that's a conversation for a more stable moment. He speaks again before the man can start “But there's no need for you to worry. Not with the security here and the power you hold.”

There’s a long while of silence, with Anakin once again staring out into the nothing with anxiousness clogging the air around them. Obi Wan can figure very little out in way of trying to push it from their minds. Sleep isn't an option for either of them, and it seems like Anakin has spent hours going over every horrible thing the Empire is capable of doing to them or at least to Obi. There's only so many times he can say _nothing will happen_ and hope that it makes an impact.

After a moment of consideration, Obi places his hand against Anakin’s shoulder and pulls him until he's sitting with his back to the building’s edge. Then he moves himself so he can sit carefully balanced on Anakin’s lap, getting a fuzzy content feeling at the confused look on Anakin suddenly evaporating.

“New ground rule,” Obi Wan kisses Anakin’s forehead and feels the man’s hands run along his sides, down to lightly hold his hips. “No worrying about any of that here. Force knows you worry and work yourself down to the bone, so let me give you peace of mind.”

Anakin’s response is a slow nod as he looks Obi Wan over in a mix of arousal and something a little softer that Obi can't quite identify. Then he moves a hand to cup the back of Obi’s neck and slowly pulls him further down to be able to kiss him.

It's been some time since their last kiss that wasn't ripping at the seams with desperation on some level. Obi relaxes into it rather quickly, getting a wave of goosebumps before cupping both of Anakin’s cheeks, careful in how quickly he deepens the kiss and moves against the man.

For the most part, he manages to remain in control of things as they go. They might've spent hours just kissing, pushing aside robes and roaming their hands over every part of the other that they can reach. It's evident after some time that Anakin has to fight the urge to be the one to press things further, but every time Obi can feel the urge begin to swell its hurriedly stomped down on. He can appreciate the effort. Eventually, without pulling back from Anakin and breaking the moment, he directs his mental attention to quietly opening the roof door and finding lube downstairs; he pulls it to himself and catches it, purposely ignoring Anakin’s aborted laugh.

Obi Wan begins to finally get some of their clothes off by then, only having enough patience to deal with everything below the waist. He keeps himself on Anakin’s lap as constantly as he can, trying and only somewhat succeeding in not getting distracted by the man constantly kissing and biting at his neck. The warmth of him almost completely blocks out the coolness of the air around them.

As he begins to sit himself up higher on his knees, Anakin pulls Obi back into another kiss and deftly takes the container from his fingers. The most Obi does is make a noise of complaint that goes ignored. Anakin pulls him in closer and gets to work leaving hickeys along Obi Wan’s shoulder while readying his fingers. He purposely takes longer in order to lick a stripe up to just underneath Obi’s jaw, giving him another full body chill, before he pulls back and grins up at him.

“You want it?” he whispers, teasingly dragging his fingers back along the inside of Obi’s thigh.

Obi sighs quietly and opens his eye to give him a look. “Anakin-”

Anakin nods impatiently with a grin and kisses just beneath Obi’s ear. “Let you give me this, I know.” Without much other warning, he promptly pushes two fingers inside of Obi Wan. Obi inhales sharply and grips Anakin’s shoulders, shivering as they press in deep and then don't move at all. “So give it to me.”

Obi Wan has half a mind to get off Anakin right that instant, at least before Anakin then curls his fingers in and he figures _fine_. He takes a breath and squeezes Anakin’s shoulders again, slowly beginning to move back against him. He makes sure it's a slow process as well, occasionally having the focus to reach down and grip Anakin briefly, long enough to feel his reaction through the bond before focusing back on getting stretched.

To his own credit, Anakin lasts until three fingers in before he has to start doing something too. Obi startles when he feels the fingers begin to move in time with him. He presses his forehead against Anakin’s with a shaky exhale and continues to rock down until his thighs begin to lightly shake. That's when he finally reaches down to grip Anakin’s arm, holding it still as he pulls himself off them and settles back onto Anakin’s lap to catch his breath.

Anakin places both hands on the small of Obi Wan’s back and tugs him to be pressed together chest to chest. The bond all but buzzes with the affection being pushed through either side. Obi opens his eyes to look over Anakin briefly with fondness before he gets back into the straddling position. Anakin’s hands grip him tightly and encourage him on, watching him back with undisguised lust that sends the heat rushing back to Obi’s cheeks.

Slowly sinking down, Obi doesn't exhale fully until the backs of his thighs hit the tops of Anakin’s. As he takes a moment to get comfortable, Anakin grips Obi’s forearms and kisses his knuckles softly before placing his arms back behind himself against his back. They're secured there almost instantaneously with the Force and Obi can't help a quiet groan. However with their foreheads pressed together and Anakin’s hands holding him by the sides, keeping his own balance doesn't seem to be much of his concern.

He makes the effort to keep things slow, and for a while they keep such a pace. Anakin holds onto him tightly and every time Obi opens his eyes, Anakin is watching him. And if anything, the slowness of it makes every additional thing seem that much more significant. Obi whines every time Anakin so much as readjusts his grip or brushes his lips against his throat. It's further jarring with the lack of walls, with their own noises being joined with the sound of wind and the bugs in the grass below. He's very aware the stars aren't sentient, but he doesn't feel any less watched.

Anakin steadily goes a little faster, breath coming out in short, harsh pants as he pulls Obi Wan onto him. Half a dozen sentences stray close to the edge of Obi’s tongue, the urges to push out of the Force grip again and wrap himself around Anakin, get his name out and promise that if the galaxy were just a little different, he'd never leave. The most of what he gets out is only Anakin’s name.

They both work themselves up to a similarly timed orgasm, and by the end of it Obi feels more emotional than he had before, despite his hope that this would make Anakin more calm. He wraps his arms around Anakin’s neck when he's able to, absently running a hand through his hair and relaxing into their bond. Even out of the heat of the moment, the words are still there. It takes considerable effort not to just spit them out, bury his face against Anakin’s neck and implore him to destroy the Empire from within so there might be a chance of peace for them.

Another time, he tells himself as an excuse, there will be a better time for it.

 

-

  


Naturally, things take a turn for the worse almost as soon as Anakin is called onto another mission.

Obi Wan supposes, in hindsight, he should’ve learned to predict that type of pattern. But this time, the trouble doesn’t stem from Anakin, and thus his guard is down at the perfectly wrong moment.

According to Anakin, he’s only to be gone for a handful of days to help oversee a crucial shipment for the Death Star. Obi Wan spends the first two days in a decent state of peace, often meditating or spending his time on the roof; he can’t help a new fondness for it. This time, Anakin keeps their bond open and is reaching out to check on Obi every few hours. Even through the bond Obi can tell he’s barely resting again, stressed and volatile like he’d been before.

Obi Wan’s concerns lie in hoping to keep Anakin calm to a certain level and give him comfort of something to come back to. What he doesn’t think about is how long he’ll keep that up before an actual escape will have to take place. He mostly refuses to focus on it, outside of reaching out to check upon the children during his meditations.

It’s during one of his meditations that he can feel something shift throughout the Force. He startles with the intensity of it, the feeling of the darkness seep into the area. His focus shifts from looking for Luke to trying to locate the source of the dark side suddenly present. Before he can, Obi becomes aware of the sound of the bedroom door opening; there’s no indication that he’s lucky enough for it to be Anakin coming back early.

He counts no less than five pairs of footsteps before the door slides closed behind the last of them. Obi is no longer meditating, but he keeps his eyes closed and his back turned to the door to give himself a little time to formulate some type of plan. The modified voice of a Stormtrooper speaks- “You are ordered to come with us, Master Kenobi, and I request you do not resist.”

Obi’s face minutely twitches into a slight frown, drumming his fingers against his knee. “To come where?”

There’s the sound of a blaster whirring to life. “You are not authorized to that information; we have been given permission to use force if you do not cooperate.”

Obi Wan finally turns his head enough to glance back at the leading ‘trooper. He had initially guessed that Anakin had sent for him, but with the mention of force he quickly guesses otherwise. “I was under the assumption that you only took orders from- from Vader.” He catches himself from saying Anakin’s name.

Two more Stormtroopers raise their blasters, each whirring to life loudly in contrast to the next to no other noise within the room. The last two step back so the door opens and remains that way, with their own blasters off, but visibly set onto the ‘stun’ setting. A lesser chance of being suddenly killed by them at least gives Obi a little better hope from getting out of this situation. Quickly, he speaks again, keeping his hand out of sight in hopes that whatever this is can be mind-tricked away. “You do not want to take me anywhere, you have no orders.”

“You are ordered to come with us. Resist and be met with force.”

Obi Wan’s hands curl up against his knees before he flattens them out with his exhale, refusing to let his anxiety get the better of him. He’s been up against worse odds far more times. Slowly, he nods, raising his hands as a display of compliance. “No resistance,” he agrees.

The Stormtroopers show no usual sign of understanding, which further confuses Obi Wan. The worry on why the Force seems to have no effect on them and their odd orders will have to be sidelined until he’s escaped, however. He steps up to the lead ‘trooper slowly, eyeing each one behind the first. It’s when the Stormtrooper steps up to cuff him that he jumps into action, pushing his hands out and using the Force to knock them all back and out of the way of the door. Several shots go off, but all either bounce off the ceiling or off the walls behind him.

As soon as they hit the ground, Obi breaks into a run. Orders are shouted behind him, and he’s not yet halfway down the hall when he hears the sound of footsteps following him again. Obi Wan continues to press back and block any further shots with the Force, thankful as well that the five prove to be awful shots. The door almost doesn’t open in time for him to sprint through, and manage to catch several of the blaster bolts aimed at him as it closes.

In the brief thoughts his adrenaline allows, Obi Wan figures his best bet is to hijack one of the handfuls of ships on the landing pads. He can concern himself with Anakin, the possibility of coming back when the area is safe again, once he himself is safe first. And then in the midst of stitching together his plan, shots ring out from the rooftop guards as well. The first one hits the ground just behind his heel, burning the grass dead. He only hears the second one, hitting the square center of his back in time with his foot touching down against the concrete of the landing pad, and within that second he falls, gone to the world.

Considering being shot, he's not expecting to wake up feeling much worse than the brief moment he'd felt in between getting shot and passing out. But when he does come back to consciousness, he's hit quickly with stiffness and a pounding behind his head. Like the last time he'd woken up after being knocked out, he’s laid on the floor as if he'd been thrown their haphazardly. He figures there will be no Anakin to come through the door.

Before figuring what he can do to escape, he first takes into account the rest of his condition. His feet are mobile, but his hands are secured tightly behind his back without enough mobility to be very useful. A strip of cloth had been shoved into his mouth as well as a makeshift gag, uncomfortably digging into the sides of his mouth and head.

Obi Wan’s panic still doesn't set in until he attempts to reach out for Anakin in the Force and he gets nothing. It takes him several moments for the familiar sensation of nothing to connect with the memories; inhibitor. Something in his stomach knots up and Obi hurriedly sits himself up, attempting to get his arms to the front in hopes that there might be a way to get the collar off from around his neck. But even when he gets his arms around, there's no outer mechanism he can get to.

Still, he struggles with it until he hears footsteps, which prompts him to adjust himself until his arms are back behind his back. Two Stormtroopers - the same or different, he can't tell - enter the room. Without a word spoken, they each take an arm and hoist Obi roughly up to his feet. They then pull him along, giving him little room to catch his balance and keep stride with them. To his dismay, he can think of no other way out until perhaps he can find out where he is and who is behind it.

Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised by the answer. Obi Wan is led through several corridors, which at least shows him stars, giving the indication of them being on a larger ship of sorts. His arms have begun to ache with their position by the time they pass through the last pair of doors. The room they enter is long and wide, leading him to wonder just how large the ship they’re in is. Two red guards stand at the door, and two more at another door across the room, giving no indication of noticing Obi Wan or the Stormtroopers. The room is otherwise almost void of anything else, spare some windows and a large throne. That alone gives Obi Wan his answer.

He’s led forward up to the throne, where he gets his first real look at Palpatine for the first time since before the Republic’s fall. The holos he’d seen during his runs with the Rebellion didn’t give the details their own justice. But his concerns lie in Anakin and in his own safety, and so he focuses on hardening his expression and fighting a little more against the Stormtroopers’ holds on his arms. Palpatine grins ear to ear and stands from his seat, with the look in his eyes enough to send a small chill down Obi’s spine.

“Master Kenobi,” he nods lightly, slowly walking closer, “a pleasure to see you again; that you are still alive despite my best efforts.”

Obi Wan huffs a quiet laugh.

“And what could, under normal circumstances, be allowed to slide has now grown into a large enough problem to have me directly involved. Vader allows himself to be very heavily influenced by you, and such cannot stand.” Palpatine takes Obi by the jaw and looks him over, as if trying to figure out why Anakin cares so much about him, hardly giving a response outside of a smirk to Obi quickly flinching away. “Fondness can be tolerated, but manipulation cannot be.”

He starts to rebuttal through the gag when the Stormtrooper to his left draws his blaster and presses it to his side in warning. Obi Wan tenses and glances down at it. His teeth drag roughly over the fabric as he wears it between them, ready to choke at the feeling of it against his tongue. Palpatine chuckles quietly at the sight, taking Obi by the jaw again to redirect his focus back to him.

“Vader and I will discuss what is to be done with you now that you will no longer be in his care. And it would be a shame if you were, for example, to try and speak or clue him in, and one of these blasters were to accidentally go off. I have no qualms either way, but I have a feeling one of you might.”

He roughly pats Obi Wan’s cheek before walking back to his seat. “Call in Lord Vader,” he presses one of a dozen buttons on the armrest and speaks, still looking at Obi with the same unsettling amusement. It's then that the Stormtroopers behind him kick out his calves as a way of forcing him to the ground on his knees. The barrel of a blaster presses into the back of his head firmly.

What can't be more than minutes feels like it lasts for hours with his nerves and the weapon pointed at his head. Obi’s arms go numb several minutes in, and without knowing Anakin’s state of mind he feels as afraid as he’ll likely get. With Palpatine right there, he doesn't know how Anakin will respond.

The door to the side of the room opens with a jarring noise. Obi looks up as the footsteps enter the room; Anakin strides in quickly and expressionlessly, though the faint remnants of worry remain deep-set in his features. Such is the case until his eyes land on Obi Wan (of which he can only imagine the sight; bound and gagged and kneeling).

Initially, Anakin’s face drops, confusion seemingly the first emotion to reach him for less than a handful of seconds as his pace falters almost to a stop. Then his face darkens, and even without being able to, Obi practically feels the sudden swell of anger overtake everything in the room. His pace quickens and his lightsaber activates at his side. The Stormtrooper that is holding the blaster to his head starts to choke behind him, and the inhibitor around his neck shivers with the secondary focus put on it a moment later.

“Release him, Vader, we have things to discuss,” Palpatine breaks through the almost-silence, sounding unaffected by the whole display.

Anakin makes it several steps further before, to Obi’s dismay, he slows again to a stop. His eyes are a deep and shaking yellow, and the image would be enough to scare anyone at the receiving end of it. Behind him, the ‘trooper gasps in a breath, with the second to his side taking over holding the blaster to his head while the other recovers.

Palpatine chuckles, and Anakin whirls around to stare at him, breathing fast and heavy with rage. He points at Obi Wan with the tip of his lightsaber. “Why is he here?”

Obi watches the blade a few inches from his face, regulating his breathing despite his fears and the urge to panic and attempt escape. As Anakin stands there, Palpatine stands again and waves his hand with disinterest, deactivating the lightsaber.

“Calm yourself,” he orders simply, looking over Obi Wan with a less amused expression than he had previously. “The guards had been given orders to bring Kenobi here should he attempt escape like his efforts with the transmissions. His restrainment was necessary to prevent any further attempts.”

Obi Wan’s head shoots up a few inches automatically at the accusation, his expression coming across perhaps more aggressive than his actual confusion. Not that he hadn't been expecting further lies and attempts to manipulate Anakin against him, but he's taken off guard by it nonetheless.

Part of him knows Anakin can't fall for the same lie twice, that he'll have to see through this and finally strike the Emperor down where he stands. Anakin’s eyes don't waver from yellow, however, and the new expression on his face as he stares at Obi steadily drains the hope out of Obi’s chest. He bites down on the gag and lowers his head again, staring absently at the floor.

 _'Think of anything',_ he does his best to project despite knowing nothing gets past the inhibitor. ' _Anakin, think of me or your children or Force knows what. You know I wouldn't leave you without warning, without a promise to see you again.'_

“We agreed that if Master Kenobi were to continue to attempt escape, his containment would be moved out of your hands.” Palpatine continues on, and the feeling of Anakin staring silently all but burns spots into Obi Wan’s head. “It seems a special place will have to be built to accommodate him and to keep him blocked from accessing any powers. Until then we’ll need somewhere to keep him.”

“One of our stronger allied planets,” Anakin finally speaks, tone flat and void of any emotion. Even anger would tip Obi off to his current state, but he still has nothing. “The larger the Imperial presence, the harder it will be for any Rebellion interference.”

The Force presses up against Obi Wan’s chin until he's looking up at Anakin. His eyes unchanged, a little bit of anger seeping back into his features. Obi’s chest tightens of it's own accord and he tries to get across as much as he can through his own eyes alone. But even then there's only so much he can try and do before it crosses the line and he'll have his brains shot out.

“He can be kept here for the time being, until we near such a planet.” Palpatine nods to the guards, and the blaster is finally placed back in it’s hold at the Stormtrooper’s side. Anakin nods in understanding and drops the grip on Obi’s chin, letting his head bow down, hiding his expression of muted shock. The Emperor then speaks to the two ‘troopers. “Put him back, now, until you hear orders from-”

“I’ll escort them,” Anakin steps in, now just inches away from Obi Wan kneeling there. He can't bring himself to look up at him.

The questioning expression is almost audible in Palpatine’s response. “No faith in your own men?”

“No faith in him.” Without much warning, Anakin picks Obi up by the shirt before letting go disdainfully once he's on his feet, not so much as looking him in the eye. “He's escaped from more before.”

With a quiet chuckle, Palpatine waves a hand at the Stormtroopers, who take a still stunned-slow Obi Wan’s arms. “Then keep a close eye and do not allow yourself to be fooled by him again. We have more matters to discuss upon your return.”

Anakin nods a “yes, master” before ushering the men to start moving. Obi Wan stares at him, disbelief mixed with something akin to horror. His memories of what Anakin had done to the Temple races through his mind, reminders that Anakin was  very much capable of destroying those he no longer felt cared for him. The shock of it keeps him from fully believing it will happen to him, probably up until it'll be too late.

The last glimpse of Anakin’s face he gets before he's turned to walk through the door is an expression of exhaustion, as if the severity of the last few minutes has finally weighed down on him. He wonders how much of it Anakin believes, the story that Obi Wan had tried to escape and gotten caught and dragged here fighting it all the way. Insecurity over Obi actually leaving might play a factor.

The four walk, with Anakin behind Obi Wan and the Stormtroopers, through several of the same doors they’d gone through upon entering. Specifically, they make it through three. As soon as that third door closes behind them, the grips on his arms suddenly release. Obi turns with a frown, confusion heightening his nerves as both ‘troopers collapse to the ground convulsing. Anakin places his hand on Obi’s back and insistently pushes him forward; he faces straight ahead impassively, but just as the men behind them go silent, the bindings on his wrists and the inhibitor around Obi Wan’s neck unlock and fall apart seemingly of their own volition (if he knew no better).

Almost obligatory is Obi’s noise of relief of getting his arms out of that position, having since passed numbness and had been shaking with pain. He looks back one more time at the bodies before they pass through another door and the sight is obscured. Obi tugs the gag off and inhales, exhales deeply.

“Anakin-”

“Just walk,” he breathes out, pulling Obi Wan along faster.

Obi looks back one more time, nerves still making him feel frayed at the edges, but he decides to bench his questions and concerns until they're hopefully off the ship. He follows at Anakin’s side though several different hallways, seemingly walking forever through what has to be the lengthiest ship he's had the displeasure to be on. Considering Anakin seems to be on his side now, he feels a little more at ease with leaving their defense up to him. Obi rubs his wrists in the sorest spots, wetting his lips after they'd dried from so long with the gag in his mouth.

Eventually he's led through an airlock by Anakin and then onto the ship he recognizes as the one he’d left Dantooine on. This time there's no pilot, and so Anakin quickly puts himself into the seat. Obi Wan stands back, arms crossed over his chest as he sits at a passenger's seat and watches the man ready the ship and take off before anyone can be alerted to their escape.

Or Palpatine is fully aware of their escape and is allowing it, which is almost an even worse situation to imagine.

Anakin sets the ship on course for coordinates that he can't see, and only then does the atmosphere seem to become significantly less tense. Obi Wan stands again, flattening his hands at his sides. He reaches cautiously into their bond, daring for a fleeting moment to hope that something still isn't horribly amiss. Anakin glances back at him before standing, and as he gets closer Obi Wan can see the concern etched into his features.

Without a word, Anakin practically picks Obi up off the ground with a hug, arms wrapped tightly around him as if afraid there’s a chance he might be taken again. Obi does the same, relief flooding into his system as he grabs at Anakin to get him closer somehow. He hears Anakin’s shaky exhale, lips pressing against his forehead gently.

“I didn’t know,” he whispers, one hand against Obi Wan’s back- he brushes against the spot where he’d been hit with the stun blast and Obi has to refrain from wincing- and pressing their foreheads together. Now that he can feel their bond, Obi can absorb the panic and fear radiating off of Anakin; one of Anakin’s hand cups his cheek, and that trembles lightly. “I didn’t know. I thought you were still safe, I never thought he-”

Obi Wan nods quietly in understanding. His nerves at their lowest, as is usually the case when he can feel Anakin and has a better grasp on the situation. “I’m okay. It's okay I’m- I’m alright.”

Anakin holds onto Obi for several moments longer before pulling back to look him over, holding his wrists and staring at his mouth where the skin must still be red from the friction of the gag. “I’m so sorry,” he murmurs, bringing a hand up to run gently along Obi’s neck.

“I’m - okay,” Obi Wan’s voice hitches when Anakin touches the sore spot on his back, laughing quietly despite himself. A bit of a tired smile remains as Anakin hurriedly gets the shirt off and turns Obi to look it over. It's a significant effort to not only focus on the warmth of his hand against his back, the touch light and heart-achingly tender. He glances back at him over his shoulder. “I’m okay, Anakin.”

Anakin nods absently as if he didn't even hear the sentence to begin with. He places his hands at Obi Wan’s hips and kisses the back of his neck, carefully pushing affection through the bond. “I’ll deal with this all later- coming up with an excuse, finding somewhere better, everything. I’ll get the guards out of the home so it'll be safe to go back, and until then I’ll take care of you.”

Obi’s heart sticks to his throat as he exhales, placing his hands over Anakin’s briefly before the other man pulls them away. He checks at the controls before finding the ship’s medkit and walking over with bacta. This time his hand is freezing when it touches Obi again, carefully applying the medicine onto the area before turning him back around to kiss him gently.

For once, he doesn't have much of an idea on what's coming. Where before he at least could grasp that Anakin had him captured and wanted to keep him around, here he can barely sense that same level of possessiveness. Though still undoubtedly there, it doesn't seem as intense and pulling at Anakin. He doesn't know what that means in terms of where they go from here.

At some point during the flight, Obi gets his first hours of sleep without nightmares in what feels like a long time. He can only assume Anakin stays awake in that meantime. When he wakes, he's laid across the secondary pilot’s seat, alone, and the vast expanse of space no longer stretches out in front of him.

Rather, now, there are trees. For a moment Obi mistakes the planet for Dantooine before remembering the area had been more grassland than forest. He looks around with an initial panic without Anakin in sight, but this time he's able to reach out and find Anakin through their bond; he's a significant distance away, but safe. Obi Wan decides not to dig any deeper into where's and why’s.

The farthest out he goes is just to the door of the ship, looking around to get an idea of the area. They'd landed in a large break in the trees rather than a landing pad, flattening out the wild grass beneath them. The imagery and almost calming sound of breeze strikes a familiar chord in Obi’s chest that he can't pin.

He sits there in the doorframe for what can't be more than an hour before he sees Anakin coming through the trees. Comparatively, he looks almost genuinely happy to how he'd last seen him. He kisses Obi Wan half a dozen times before actually pulling him back into the ship, only glancing back once on what seems like impulse.

It's only when they leave the planet does the recognition in Obi Wan make sense. He watches the forest get smaller and smaller beneath them, catching glimpses of scattered cities in the midst of them. His mind finally supplies him with the word _home_ as they leave the atmosphere. He doesn't know why they were there for such a short period of time, why there at all, and he's not sure what kind of answer he's even looking for.

Anakin offers no explanation, only another push of affection through their bond. Obi Wan figures they've both emotionally been through enough to thoroughly numb them, and that they can at least recover from that before worrying about anything else. Though he can't deny that seeing his home planet again after almost decades hits him harder than he'd like to have imagined. The connotation of home itself starts stirring up all kinds of odd feelings.

They stay away from Dantooine for a further two days. Usually they're flying, but twice they stop to refuel and to breathe in just an hours worth of fresh air. The paranoia of being caught keeps them from ever fully enjoying it, but they're luckily never so much as given a second glance by any ‘trooper they come near. Obi Wan can't help but wonder what keeps Palpatine from sending out a search at least for Obi Wan if not both of them. He wonders what the bigger plan is.

When Anakin does take them back to Dantooine, he makes Obi Wan stay on the ship while he makes sure no Stormtroopers are on the grounds. Not that they’d had much presence before, but the place does feel about doubly as empty as it had before. Inside, burns from the blaster bolts stain the inside of the front door, the ceiling and the walls of the bedroom. He can feel Anakin’s struggle to maintain his temper at the sight of them.

In either a coincidence or a deja vu, they fall asleep together, and Obi Wan ends up waking alone in the middle of the night. Though this time it feels purposeful; there are no nightmares- there haven’t been since he’d been taken by the Stormtroopers- but instead the feeling of Anakin reaching into the bond for him. After forcing himself awake enough to reach back, he pulls himself from bed and finds himself going back onto the roof for him. He wonders how often Anakin is going to do this.

Obi Wan steps out onto the roof quietly, eyes quickly landing on Anakin standing just a few feet away, face set in concentration before he notices Obi. He softens at that, looking over Obi fondly before getting himself out of the brief awed-state.

“Couldn't sleep again?” Obi Wan steps up to him and rests his hand against Anakin’s arm, leaving a kiss against his cheek.

Anakin smiles again but shakes his head, kissing Obi’s forehead. “No. But it's- not for bad reasons. I wanted to-”

He cuts himself off and gestures vaguely at nothing. It's then that Obi Wan notices Anakin’s other hand is clenched around something he can’t identify. Anakin’s hand closes tighter around it when he notices Obi looking down at it, before then exhaling. He steps a little closer and kisses Obi Wan again, barely waiting until they’ve stopped to turn Obi around. Obi frowns in confusion before Anakin’s hands brush against his neck; he looks down when something solid bumps against his chest, Anakin fastening the clasp with a slightly sidetracked brush of fingers along the skin.

Obi takes the object attached to the end of the twine- the stone is a deep blue, shaved down into a smooth circle just less than three inches any way. He recognizes it as a Chrysocolla gemstone within seconds. It was one of the many copper exports that were common back home, on Stewjon. That fact alone makes something warm tighten around his chest.

Behind him, Anakin rests his chin against Obi Wan’s shoulder with a slow deep breath from his nerves dissipating. “You know it’s supposed to be a symbol for love?”

 _‘New beginnings, healing, among others’_ , Obi Wan sends to Anakin through their bond as he turns the stone over in his fingers. He pretends like this doesn’t mark the first time the word has been brought up between the two of them. He supposes, then, it’s lucky that he then notices the small metallic board attached to the other side. Numbers blink across them; coordinates, he figures. “What are the numbers?” he asks softly, glancing back at Anakin carefully.

A slightly sad expression crosses over Anakin’s face before it vanishes again. “Coordinates. Mine.” he answers, standing back and pushing up his glove to display a similar mechanism on his prosthetic, only lacking the numbers.

Obi Wan runs over half a dozen possible responses in his head and ultimately never gets the chance to speak one of them. Instead, Anakin steps back in and turns Obi to him. He takes the necklace and tucks it into Obi’s shirt, staring at the slightly exposed twine as he takes one of Obi’s hands. “I think you should go back.” he whispers softly.

The statement startles the serenity out of Obi Wan in a heartbeat. His head snaps up to stare at Anakin in shock, emotion clashing with the impulse that comes to take the chance he’s been given. He grips Anakin’s hand back instead, worry lines worn deep into his face. “What?”

Anakin takes a small breath and finally seems to gather the strength to make eye contact. “I think- I know you’d be safer elsewhere. Between myself and Palpatine and your own responsibilities and allies, I’ve put you in more danger than I have protected you.”

Obi’s frown deepens and he brings his other hand up to hold the side of Anakin’s face. “Anakin, you don’t need to do this, if this is your way of trying to make up for what happened. And what happened wasn’t through any fault of your own.”

“Regardless,” Anakin shakes his head, looking away again, “you aren’t safe. My hopes were to keep you safe and keep you happy, and I haven’t succeeded in either.”

“Anakin, despite how I’ve acted, I am happy. Now more than ever-”

“ _Now_ ,” Anakin repeats with a quiet laugh. “Now, even after Palpatine-” he cuts himself off with a shaky exhale, pushing down the swell of anger even as some of it leaks through to the bond. “If he hadn't wanted to make a point, he'd have killed you. I think the only reason he hasn't sent troops for us is because he’s giving me time to get that point and act.”

Obi Wan can think of several tightly connected possible points- that it's been proven that Palpatine can still reach Obi despite Anakin’s precautions, that they can't properly coexist with their contrasting dedications and beliefs, that Anakin is still very firmly held under Palpatine’s foot despite minimal wiggle room.

“If you get back to where you know you'll be safe,” Anakin continues when Obi Wan offers no verbal response. “you'll have the Rebellion to protect you, and there won't be any worry involving me.”

Obi Wan raises an eyebrow and laughs quietly, running his thumb over Anakin’s cheek. “You think a moment didn’t go by, when I was out there, where I didn’t think and worry about you?”

Anakin smiles sadly and places his hand over Obi’s, taking it and kissing the palm.

“I put myself in danger no matter where I go, where I am. Of course I’ll have to leave at some point, but Force knows not when something is going to happen to you if I do.” he adds softly, stepping a little closer to emphasize.

The sad smile grows on Anakin’s mouth and Obi represses the urge to kiss him until it goes away. He hadn't realized how badly he'd wanted to remain with Anakin until now, even knowing he's going to have to make a choice between Anakin and the Rebellion at some point. He feels nowhere near ready enough to make that decision.

“You know you can stop him,” Obi Wan whispers, squeezing Anakin’s hand firmly and forcing him to look at him. “Anakin, Palpatine only controls you because you allow him. You're powerful enough to stop him- there doesn't need to be anything to run from.”

“Even if I could,” Anakin looks away shakily, gripping his hand tightly, “it wouldn't be easier for us. I’ve done too much to be forgiven, I’d have to be on the run just as much as you are now. By association you'd be just as outcast. And if the wrong people took control after the Emperor, Force knows what they'd do to you.” he shakes his head and closes his eyes. “I can't kill him. I couldn't.”

Obi Wan presses their foreheads together and presses his hand against Anakin’s chest as an excuse to have him closer. It's begun to sink in how helpless he is to the situation on this side of things. He doesn't want the only option to be continuously attacking the Empire and putting Anakin at risk of being a causality. Even though deep down he knows it will likely come to nothing else. “Anakin-”

Anakin presses his hand over Obi’s chest where the gemstone is centered, silencing him with a quiet falter in his throat. “The stone has my coordinates. I wanted- if it's ever safe again to see you, I want you to be able to find me. Even if it's not here, if it's only for a few days, as long as you can find me again, I can last a little while on my own.”

He kisses Obi Wan’s forehead, who continues to quietly flounder for anything to say that isn't imploring Anakin to end the Empire and just come with him. “And if I can't take care of my children,” he murmurs, “They'll be more than safe with you.”

Obi Wan’s heart tightens in his chest. He feels Anakin push through their bond, unspoken reassurances of admiration and promises that it won't be a real goodbye, of course it won't because they'll see each other again. His hand grips Anakin’s impossibly tightly as if it'll do anything to make leaving easier.

They look at each other for a brief quiet moment, before Obi Wan initiates a kiss. Both hands fist up in Anakin’s robes and pull him in, desperation leaking into it from both of them despite the attempts to tell themselves and each other that it won’t be the last time; nothing they say makes it feel any less so like that’s exactly what this is.

As he kisses him, the same few thoughts keep running through Obi Wan’s head as Anakin pulls him in closer. _‘I love you’_ sounds off like an alarm every time they reconnect, making the most out of what little time they have left until one of them finally has the strength to force the goodbye. The phrase repeats again and again, Obi’s hands continuing to grip at Anakin’s robes before going up to cup his cheeks, pushing back further to run absently through his hair.

Ultimately, it’s Anakin who stops Obi from pulling him back in when he moves to take a breath. One of his hands lingers against Obi Wan’s jaw, heavily panting with exertion before he gathers his voice. “I love you too. Go.”

Obi’s heart twists up again despite himself. He opens his eyes and finds Anakin staring back at him, with what he figures is a similar expression to his own. And despite all he can think of to say, all he manages to do is hesitantly nod in understanding.

He steps in one more time and holds Anakin’s face as he kisses him one more time. All he has is pushed through the bond even a little after Obi steps back for good. He forces himself to swallow the lump in his throat, sadly smiling one more time before he steps back to the doorway back into the building. Anakin simply stands there and watches him, still softly panting. He doesn’t move, and so after another moment of hesitation, Obi Wan opens the door and climbs back down.

The home is eerily quiet as Obi walks through it. He forces himself to think about anything else in order to not make leaving impossible, with a numb sort of sensation taking over him. He looks back when he walks out onto the landing pad, standing beside the second ship. Anakin remains on the roof, watching him and with the same numbed-out sadness able to be felt indirectly through their bond.

Obi Wan steps into the ship and looks up one more time, cementing the image to his mind, and then looks back down to focus on taking off. Within moments, the ship lifts off the ground and makes its way out past the atmosphere. Obi doesn’t allow himself to sit down and exhale until he’s hit lightspeed; only then does he slump back into the pilot’s chair and finds himself gripping at the gemstone. It’s only then that he becomes aware of the lightsaber attached to his side, only able to assume Anakin had slipped it back on him in the midst of the goodbye. He proceeds to cry in a mix of heartbreak and frustration with himself, hating that realizing he’s alone again feels like such a suckerpunch.

He’s never hated the sight of Tatooine more.

 

-

 

Ten months later finds Obi Wan still on Tatooine, sitting outside his makeshift little home with his binoculars on his lap.

The Lars farm is barely a speck in the distance without said device, though he doesn’t require them at the moment. He instead looks in the direction of the rising suns, trying to enjoy the brief time of day where it doesn’t feel too stifling just to be outside for long. Just faintly past the silhouette of the farm, two smaller silhouettes walk up along the desert towards the dunes, toward the snug spot he’s remained hidden from anyone not specifically looking for it.

Obi holds the gemstone in his hand as he waits for them to approach, absently tracing over the smooth edge. He tries not to check the ever-changing numbers when he can help it, as he knows the knowledge will only make him more- homesick, for lack of a better word. Anakin hasn’t once come close to the planet anyway. But still he hasn’t taken the necklace off once since Anakin had given it to him, with the smooth stone and meaning behind it hardly ever leaving his mind.

Several minutes pass, and Obi Wan finally makes himself stand. The silhouettes make their way up the incline; Luke stumbles and Beru quickly catches him, scooping the toddler up into her arms without faltering in her pace. Obi smiles to himself at the image. It’d taken a good number of weeks of conversation for the Lars (Owen, mostly) to even consider what Obi proposed. But even once they’d agreed, it came with a multitude of terms. Upon them agreeing to let him see Luke, Obi Wan still wasn’t allowed at the farm and wasn’t allowed to mention anything about the Jedi, let alone even consider beginning any sort of training. Beru took it upon herself to take Luke to him during the day, while Owen worked the farm and didn’t want to hear a word about Obi Wan.

Despite how limited it often feels, Obi Wan can’t imagine trading it for anything. He hasn’t left Tatooine once since he’d returned, though he intends to eventually get reinvolved with the Rebellion to some level like he had before. He needs to see more of Leia outside the holos Bail sends him.

He smiles with a slight nod when Beru comes up over the bend. A large smile breaks over Luke’s face when his eyes land on Obi Wan, excitedly squirming until his aunt finally sets him back on the ground. Obi bends down to meet Luke as the child hurriedly totters toward him, throwing his arms around Obi with a loud giggle. He speaks a muffled “H’llo, Mr. Wan,” into his robes.

Obi Wan chuckles and stands back up with Luke in his arms, looking up at Beru with a thankful smile and nod of which she returns. The child plays with the corner of his robe while his aunt promises to return before sundown. It’s a rare occasion when they can get away with leaving Luke completely alone with him without Owen finding out, and Obi wishes she were sensitive if only so he could truly communicate how much it means to him.

As she turns to leave, Obi Wan focuses his attention back on Luke, who’d begun to unintelligibly babble and pat his hand against the gemstone. Obi smiles and sends a small wave of adoration over the boy, which causes him to start laughing again.

Almost subconsciously, he finds himself sending the moment to Anakin through their bond. With the distance, it takes longer to get across, but when it does, he can feel the warmth of pride and love it causes on Anakin’s end.

Obi Wan smiles to himself and carries Luke inside.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> so i told myself this would be the end end but right now there's a wip in my folder for a third fic so. time will tell
> 
> real quick tho i'm really excited to see the response to this all the comments on the first fic were so nice and i loved going a little further with these two. comments and kudos would b great!!
> 
> my tumblr changed to calrissiansolos! feel free to follow me there, although i tweet more about my fics and writings on my twitter at chirrutbaze.


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